title: Expression of transforming growth factor alpha in human gliomas.
abstract: Expression of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha) is frequently associated with the development of human and animal tumors. Using a sensitive immunohistochemical assay, which can be applied on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue, we have examined the expression of TGF alpha in 71 human gliomas (63 untreated and 8 recurrent tumors). Tumors were graded by a 3-grade-system: grade I = low grade gliomas, grade II = anaplastic gliomas and grade III = glioblastomas. A strong positive correlation between tumor grade and extent of TGF alpha expression was found (P less than 0.0001). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify the fourth exon of the TGF alpha gene of 8 glioma DNA specimens and increasing amounts of normal human DNA, which served as a standard. No amplification of the TGF alpha gene copy number in tumors could be detected.
authors.affiliation: Cotzias Laboratories of Neuro-oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Center of Cancer Research, New York, NY 10021.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schlegel
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Moots
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Rosenblum
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Thaler
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Furneaux
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D005910:Glioma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha